Vivacta's $50M+ Haul to Advance 'In-Body' CAR-T Cancer Therapy

SHANGHAI, China – April 29, 2026 – In a significant move that underscores investor confidence in the next wave of cell therapy, Shanghai-based Vivacta Biotechnology has successfully closed Series A and Series A+ financing rounds totaling over US$50 million. The capital injection, led by prominent investors Loyal Valley Capital and Decheng Capital, is set to propel the company's revolutionary in vivo CAR-T therapy platform and its lead candidate, GT801, through crucial clinical trials and toward global markets.

The financing drew a roster of globally recognized healthcare investors, including OrbiMed, Hankang Capital, and Eisai Innovation Inc., alongside existing shareholders Qiming Venture Partners. This strong backing signals a major validation for Vivacta's approach, which aims to simplify and democratize one of modern medicine's most complex and powerful treatments.

"We are deeply honored by the recognition and support from a group of leading investors," commented Dr. Liu Yarong, Founder and CEO of Vivacta. "Vivacta is committed to advancing innovative in vivo CAR-T cell therapies. Our core product, GT801, has demonstrated promising safety and efficacy profiles in early clinical studies across hematological malignancies and autoimmune disease patients, potentially offering these patient populations a transformative treatment option to deliver innovative therapies to more patients in need."

The In Vivo Revolution: A New Paradigm for Cell Therapy

For years, CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy has been a beacon of hope for patients with certain blood cancers, offering remarkable remission rates. However, the conventional ex vivo process—where a patient's T-cells are extracted, shipped to a lab, genetically engineered, multiplied, and then re-infused—is a logistical and financial behemoth. The multi-week, multi-step process is exceedingly expensive, complex, and often requires patients to undergo harsh lymphodepleting chemotherapy to prepare their bodies for the modified cells.

Vivacta aims to upend this paradigm with its in vivo approach. Instead of turning the patient's body into a raw material source for an external manufacturing process, the company's technology turns the body into the bioreactor itself. Vivacta's flagship product, GT801, uses proprietary T-cell-targeted lipid nanoparticles (T-LNPs) to deliver mRNA instructions directly to T-cells within the patient. These instructions code for an anti-CD19 CAR, effectively programming the T-cells on-site to hunt and destroy cancerous B-cells.

The potential advantages are transformative. This method could drastically reduce costs, eliminate the complex manufacturing and supply chain logistics, and shorten the time to treatment from weeks to days. Perhaps most critically, early data suggests it may do so without the need for pre-treatment lymphodepleting chemotherapy, sparing patients from its toxic side effects.

Initial human data for GT801, presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in December 2025, provided the first glimpse of this potential. The study in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies showed that GT801 was well-tolerated and induced rapid and deep B-cell depletion. The data demonstrated the feasibility of generating functional CAR-T cells directly inside the body, with durable and repeatable T-cell expansion observed after each dose.

Investor Conviction in a Crowded Field

The commitment of over $50 million from a syndicate of sophisticated investors is more than just financial fuel; it is a strategic endorsement of Vivacta's technology in a fiercely competitive landscape. Lead investors Loyal Valley Capital and Decheng Capital are known for their deep research and successful track records in backing disruptive healthcare innovations. Their decision to lead the rounds, coupled with the inclusion of global healthcare giant OrbiMed, signals a belief that Vivacta's platform has the potential to emerge as a leader.

As a sign of their commitment, Mr. Xie Ronggang from Loyal Valley Capital and a partner from DC Global Ventures (Decheng Capital) have joined Vivacta's board of directors, indicating a hands-on approach to guiding the company's growth and strategy.

While Vivacta's early data is promising, it is entering a field buzzing with activity and nine-figure investments. Several biotechs and major pharmaceutical companies are racing to crack the in vivo code. Umoja Biopharma and Interius BioTherapeutics (recently acquired by Gilead Sciences) are advancing lentiviral-based in vivo approaches in clinical trials. Meanwhile, AbbVie's acquisition of Capstan Therapeutics highlights the intense interest in using lipid nanoparticles for in vivo cell reprogramming. This high-stakes competition validates the immense perceived value of a successful in vivo platform, a market projected to grow exponentially in the coming decade.

From Shanghai to the World Stage

Vivacta's substantial funding round also highlights a broader trend: the ascent of China's biotech sector onto the global stage. The company's stated goal is to use the new capital to not only advance GT801's clinical trials but also to support regulatory submissions and accelerate its 'global expansion.'

Navigating the path to market is a formidable challenge. Vivacta will need to steer GT801 through the rigorous regulatory frameworks of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), among others. Both agencies have established expedited pathways for innovative cell and gene therapies, but the bar for safety and efficacy remains exceptionally high, particularly for a novel modality like in vivo CAR-T.

The proceeds from this financing are earmarked precisely for these critical activities—funding larger, more definitive clinical trials, building out the research team and manufacturing platform, and preparing the extensive data packages required for regulatory approval in key international markets. With a fortified balance sheet and a validated platform, Vivacta is now poised to translate its pioneering science into a tangible therapy for patients worldwide.